


Unnie

by moonie_light04



Category: Mamamoo
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, I'm not good at tagging, sister!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 00:44:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18789556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonie_light04/pseuds/moonie_light04
Summary: Byulyi wanted to give up on life but her little sister's smile saved her.





	Unnie

**Author's Note:**

> no one asked for this but we all need wheebyul fics  
> might have errors sorry ;_;  
> cross-posted from aff

Moon Byulyi may be young but she knows when she is not wanted.

 

She stares at the pile of boxes in front of her with no interest, propping her chin on her palm. Men clad in blue uniform move to and fro inside the room,  carrying and unboxing the boxes from the moving company's truck. The move did not take that long since the house already had built-in appliances and other furniture. 

 

Her eyes wander around the house, the walls were painted in cream and it looked cozy. She opens the sliding glass door and let the cold breeze in to air out the stale smell of the room. She hears footsteps and when she turns around, she met her mother's eyes.

 

Cold.

 

Her back shivers subtly and quickly averted her gaze away from her mother. To be honest, Byul is used with the cold piercing gaze of her mother but what she is not used to is the underlying anger and loathing in her eyes. 

 

She goes outside, leaning on the balcony. The wind softly sweeps her hair away from her face and a bitter smile lingers on her lips. It's not like she wanted to be the exact replica of her father. If she can even call him a father. Her body trembles with fear as bad memories relapsed within seconds. Cold sweat started to form on her forehead and her hands shook subtly. She closes her eyes and tried to catch up on her breath. She places her hand on her chest, soothing her erratic heartbeat.

 

Her father. The man who she had seen as someone as a role model but her image of him crashed and broke to pieces of fragments. She could not pinpoint exactly when her father started to change. Her father was kind, caring and loving but one day, he just changed. Maybe it started when he was stressed out when got laid off from his job or maybe it happened when he first slapped her mother when he was drunk. Since then, Byul would hide in fear when her father gets drunk. Byul was young but she wasn't spared. It started with a slap and when it wasn't enough, he would use his belt and most of the times, his fist. Since then, he has always beat the living life of hers. She was barely 5 years old at that time but she has already tasted such pain and suffering. Her heart would race uncontrollably as the smell of alcohol hits her every time she arrives home from school. She should have run but one call from her father would make her stop from her tracks.

 

She does not want to move but it was as if her legs had a mind of their own. Her legs would tremble from time to time. From her peripheral view, she saw her mother sitting in the corner, curled into a ball as if protecting herself. The once fading blue and violet on her body were once more visible. Byul could see the hopelessness in her eyes even if they were closed.

 

Her heart stilled when her father smiled cruelly. He grabbed her wrist and Byul just closed her eyes, worrying about how to cover another purple bruise from her friends and teachers' peering eyes.

 

Her eyes open as soon as a hand grabbed her wrist. She almost yelps in surprise but when her eyes rested on a puppy-like tiny human, she stopped.

 

Two years after when her father died from a car accident, her mother met Jung Minseok. They started their lives all over again and her mother got a job in a big company. He was the head of their department at that time and they met. He was someone who is the total opposite of her father. Kind, caring and a loving father. Jung Minseok raised his daughter on his own after his wife met an untimely death. Byul was not sure but she overheard it once.  They said it was a burglary that went wrong. The man panicked, overwhelmed by fear when he got caught by Mr. Jung's wife. The latter tried to stop the man but it was too late, he pulled the trigger and left the woman bleeding alone. Mr. Jung was not around at that time as he was on a business trip. Mrs. Jung and their barely a year-old daughter are the only ones present at that time.

 

Byul thinks that they've found refuge with each other. Her mother longs for a loving husband while Mr. Jung longs for a wife and a mother to his only daughter.

 

They moved to a newly-bought house of Mr. Jung. A new house where they could build new memories and leave their past behind.

 

Byul actually likes him but she could not help but feel wary with strangers. Even people who are close to you are capable of hurting you, what more if it is a stranger? Aside from that, she feels like an outsider. She feels like she's intruding them. She feels like she is not supposed to step inside their own bubble. She knows that she's unwanted. She thought that Mr. Jung may not show it to her that but she just knows. She doesn't even want herself so what makes other people want her? Her own mother doesn't even want her. Maybe if her mother were given the chance to throw her out, she would do it with a heartbeat. Byul wouldn't blame her mother though. It's just that she had already accepted her fate. She may be young but she already has a grasp of how the world works.

 

Her eyes are upon the little Jung who is still grabbing her hand as if she were so important. Byul could not help but be jealous of Wheein, Mr. Jung's 2-year old daughter. She's jealous because Wheein doesn't know anything. Wheein can laugh all she wants and everyone would be on their knees. Wheein can't feel how empty she is. Wheein can't feel how unwanted she is. Wheein can't feel all the sadness because she still doesn't know how the world works and she envied that. She envied how innocent Wheein was.

 

She yanked her hand away from Wheein and ran away. Her mother yelled at her for making Wheein cry. She took one last glance from her back, her mother picked Wheein up and cooed her before she closed the door as quietly as possible.

 

//

 

She woke up with a start, cold sweat all over her body. She gasped, trying to breathe properly as her chest constricted with pain. Sunlight peeks through from the gaps of her blinds which brightened up her room. Her room. She was actually surprised when Mr. Jung said that she has her own room. He actually gave her the freedom to decorate her room in which she chose a pastel pink wallpaper. She also wanted to stick glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling but she's too shy to ask so she said that the wallpaper was enough.

 

She went downstairs, her mother just finished cooking her breakfast. Wheein was sitting on her baby seat, playing with her food which is scattered all throughout her face. Byul tried to hide her look of disgust because of Wheein's sight.

 

Mr. Jung already left since his plate was already on the sink. Her mother hastily cleaned her hands and dried it off.

 

"Byulyi, I'm going out for a bit. Eat your breakfast and wash the dishes. Take care of Wheein."

 

"Wheein?" she trailed off.

 

Her mother gave her a stern look so she kept quiet.

 

"Clean her up after she finishes her food, alright?" when she didn't answer, her mother asked her again in which she weakly muttered a yes.

 

"Don't make her cry and don't pick on her." her mother's last words before she closed the door, hurrying to avail for a sale in the supermarket.

 

Now, it's all her and Wheein.

 

"What?" she asks when Wheein stared at her.

 

After eating her breakfast, she immediately finished her chore then dried the plates before placing it on the rack. Now, what is she going to do? It's Saturday and there were no pending assignments. She doesn't know if she should be thankful or not.

 

Wheein started to get noisy with all her baby talk. Byul frowned and went next to her to clean the dirty baby.

 

"You're so noisy."

 

"ABUUABABABA." she sighs when Wheein kept on blabbering nonsense.

 

"You know, when I was your age, I could speak longer sentences. You're already old but you still can't speak." she reprimanded the child while wiping her baby cheeks with wet wipes but then at that moment, she remembered what she overheard about what the two adults talked over one night. Mr. Jung said that Wheein might have witnessed the death of her mother. She was found by the police inside a closet, barely moving. She was still so young at that time so she might have forgotten about it  now but the trauma has greatly affected her speech ability. Due to that, it delayed her language development thus the reason of her just baby talking or just babbling.

 

She carries Wheein out from her seat and put her on the floor. Wheein stood up but then her legs were wobbly and could not support her body so she crashed on the floor. Luckily, her butt fell first and the diaper acted as a cushion.

 

Byul shook her head, clearly not amused at the child.

 

"You can't even stand on your own," she said as she picked her up and held her wrist, guiding the toddler into the living room where her toys were located.

 

Byul sat on the floor, looking uninterested. Wheein kept on blabbering nonsense to her, occasionally giving her toys to play with which Byul would put aside.

 

"YA!" Wheein must have noticed that Byul was not paying her attention and yelled.

 

Did she hear it right?

 

"YA? Did you just yelled 'YA!' at me?" she asked, disbelief evident on her voice.

 

"Let me tell you, I'm older than you! I'm 9 and you're just 2 and you had the guts to address me informally?" she ranted. As young as she was, Byul was conscious about manners and this toddler right in front of her doesn't have an ounce of respect in her bones. She stood up and pointed at herself repeatedly, emphasizing herself.

 

"I'm your unnie! UNNIE!" she huffed and Wheein just giggled at her. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Why do I even bother? It's not like you can understand me."  Just right on time, her mother arrived with groceries in tow. After helping her, she went inside her room and locked herself.

 

//

 

Byul watches from far away as students and parents alike were going out of the school gates. She smiled bitterly as she clutched the medal on her hand. It was their annual sports fest in their school. She participated in a 40-meter and 100-meter sprint. She lost and won, respectively. With a gash on her knee, she walked home. At her first event, because of nervousness, she fell flat on the ground and ended up with a bleeding knee. On the second one, she still participated despite her teacher's advice. Imagine how happy she was when she ended up proving them wrong and won the race even with an aching knee. She just gritted through it and won.

She entered the house with a wailing Wheein on her mother's arms with Mr.Jung beside her, cooing. She softly closed the door and sneaked inside. Before she closed the door, she heard Wheein laugh and was followed by the two adults.

 

//

 

Byul woke up with a start, her eyes wet from tears, her forehead with cold sweat. She wiped it away with her blanket and laid back again on her bed. She glanced at the clock and it was barely midnight.

 

Nightmares kept on haunting her. She wanted to scream but she could not. Not when she would disturb the whole neighborhood in the middle of the night. She accidentally let out a sob but closed her mouth with her hand. She forced her eyes to close and let all of this pass but when she heard the door creaking, she stilled. She held her breath and stopped making any noise. Her heart jumped out of her chest when she felt her bed dipping.

 

"ADDDEIYANNWE." she almost pushed Wheein away and let her fall, luckily she stopped herself when she recognized the small hands tapping her face.

 

She sat up and faced her.

 

"What are you doing here? How did you even get here?" she asked knowing that Wheein wouldn't even answer.

 

Either she escaped from her mother and Mr.Jung's bed or she escaped from her crib. A few months passed already and Wheein can finally walk. Maybe her walk training with her when her mom and Mr. Jung are out finally paid off.

 

"Go back," she whispered and gestured for her to get out of her bed but Wheein just giggled and smiled, her dimples making a show.

 

"Whatever. I don't care if you fall. You chose this, okay? Don't blame me if I kicked you accidentally." she said and turned her back from Wheein.

 

She covered herself with her blanket, leaving Wheein with a little portion to cover herself and tried to sleep, however, it never came. She sighed and turned around, facing Wheein who was about to fall asleep, her eyes drooping. Suddenly, the toddler patted her cheeks and slept. Not long after, Byul followed.

 

Byul stirred from her sleep when she heard someone yelling. She felt Wheein stirring a bit but with gentle pats on her butt and coos, she immediately fell asleep. Byul almost fell from her bed and realized how close she was on the edge. Wheein occupied almost 85% of her bed and got 90% of her blanket. That must be the reason why she feels so cold. She shuffled on the floor and gently went out of her room, closing the door gently.

 

She bumped into her mother, followed with Mr. Jung, their faces filled with worry. Her mother grabbed her from her shoulders and asked, "Have you seen Wheein? She was sleeping in our room but when we woke up, she was gone!" her voice wavered a bit. "W-we looked everywhere b-but,"

 

"She's in my room. She sneaked inside in the middle of the nig-" before she could even finish her sentence, the adults ran towards her room and checked on Wheein.

 

Byul went downstairs and filled her bowl with cereals and milk. She made her way in the living room and turned the television on, turning it on max volume and drowned any noises from upstairs.

 

//

 

It became a routine. Wheein learned how to open the doorknob with ease instead of rattling on it on many attempts. She still couldn't speak, though. Byul would lock her door most of the time but she got tired of opening it up for Wheein and just left it open in case she makes her midnight visits and decided to crash on her bed. It's not like she likes it but she placed a small step ladder just in case.

 

Luckily, her nightmares lessened. She doesn't wake up with tears on her eyes or cold sweat all over her body anymore. Her father doesn't show up that much and she's thankful for that.

 

One Sunday morning, she woke up with an empty bed. Wheein is already not on her bed. She remembered clearly that she sneaked inside.

 

Maybe she went back?

 

She was about to walk towards the bathroom when she stepped on a crayon. Her eyes followed the trail and noticed Wheein with various colors all over her face with a crayon on hand.

 

She sighed with relief when she realized that it's non-toxic but when she caught sight of the paper Wheein was holding, her heart dropped.

 

"N-no, please no. No, no, no." she chanted all over again but what was once her project became Wheein's target for fun. Due to anger, she yanked the crayon from Wheein's hand and threw it on the floor, breaking it in the process.

 

Seeing what just happened, Wheein cried. Tears flowing from her eyes. Her mother heard it and immediately went inside to see what's the ruckus all about.

 

"Byulyi!" she flinched. Her mother kneeled and cooed Wheein, trying to calm her down. She then turned her head on her daughter, her eyes accusing and it stabbed Byul's heart more than she had expected.

 

"What did you do?"

 

She felt that she lost her voice like she couldn't speak at all. Her anger vanished almost immediately when her mother entered the room.

 

"I...She- W-Wheein destroyed my project."

 

"Does that give you the right to hurt her?"

 

"I didn't hurt her!" she said quickly, becoming defensive from her mother's accusatory tone.

 

Byul sometimes cursed her maturity. She wished she didn't understand the world. She wished she didn't know how adult minds' work. She hated it. No, she loathed it. She knows her mother is comparing her to her father. They have the same eyes, same nose, same mouth and they even shared the same blood. It makes sense if she's like her father but no- she wasn't. She doesn't hurt anyone, not even when she is hurting.

 

"It's just a project! You didn't have to yell at her!"

 

Just a project?

 

Hearing the commotion, Mr. Jung stepped in.

 

"Honey, you're being too harsh," he said, trying to calm the woman down. He eyed Byul and smiled weakly as he noticed the subtle trembling of her body. He turned back his attention to his wife and to his daughter, "She worked hard on it so I can understand where she's coming from. It's Wheein's fault, alright?"

 

Byul then watched how Mr. Jung scolded Wheein. Yes, he scolded her yet his voice sounded different. His was soft and gentle. Wheein, as if she understood his words, nodded slowly and walked towards Byul and hugged her. After everyone calmed down, they left Byul alone. Her mother didn't say anything but Byul might have seen regret flashed in her eyes.

 

She rummaged through her trash and taped her project. Sighing, she crumpled it and threw it again. That night, she worked all over again to finish her project. It didn't look quite that nice but Byul settled for it. If only she could draw well then none of this would have happened.

 

She locked her door and laid on her bed but that night, sleep visited her so late. She then woke up with a start, her hair clung to her forehead and her erratic heartbeat made it hard for her to breathe. She took a bath and after changing her clothes, she went downstairs.

 

She peeked behind the wall and saw Mr. Jung carrying Wheein on his arms and was laughing behind her mother who slapped him playfully in return. She stared at them, carefully memorizing their faces and imprinting it on her mind. She smiled and her heart ached. She doesn't know if it was because she was happy or because she was in pain. Happy because they looked like a family. A real one. She's happy yet sad at the same time because even without her, they are happy. They could still be a family even when she is not in the picture.

 

It seemed like her mother noticed her and in Byul's view, it's like their bubble popped because she was there. Mr. Jung smiled at her and waved for her to come over and have breakfast. Her mother placed the food on the table and they ate quietly. Byul nibbled on her food, disliking the carrots on her plate but knowing that the two adults are watching her, she forced herself to finish it all. She glanced at Wheein who ate with no care and smiled sweetly at her. It almost crumbled her resolve. She clenched her fists and grabbed her bag.

 

"Thank you," she said softly and bowed at them before taking her leave.

 

Byul returned home at lunch break. She opened the door with the keys hidden under the pot and entered. No one was present. Mr. Jung was working and her mom took Wheein for a check-up. She then placed Wheein's favorite yogurt which she bought using her money inside the refrigerator. Everyday, after school, Byul would buy Kkomo, a brand of yogurt and give it to Wheein who took a liking on it. She wasn't sure if what she brought was enough but decided that it was. There wasn't enough time. She then looked for a sticky note and wrote one word before sticking it on the refrigerator.

 

She took one last look at the house and smiled. She itched to go out already but Wheein's toys were scattered all over so she decided to clean up a bit. She sighed after picking the last one. She locked the door and closed it gently.

 

Bye.

 

//

 

Jung Sooyeon opened the door and as soon as she placed Wheein, the little one started running around. They visited the clinic to check up on Wheein's well-being. They were getting worried since Wheein still can't speak coherent words or sentences. Thankfully, the doctor said that it's nothing to be alarmed off since Wheein is still young and that there are really those who are slow learners. She started baby-talking so it's a good sign. Just a little push and she would start talking soon.

 

She was about to clean up the mess Wheein made before they went out but when she came to the living room, it was clean. She's sure that it was a mess though. Or maybe her age is getting on her. She shook those thoughts aside and went to the kitchen since Wheein kept on making gestures which they understood as food, according to her daughter, Byulyi.

 

Byulyi.

 

She sighed. She might have been too harsh and strict on her daughter. She closed her eyes as she remembered what they went through in the past. She doesn't want her daughter to end up like her father but it seems that what she's doing is making herself more distant from her daughter. She has to do something about it. She needs to do something. She knows that her daughter was hurt about it but the coward that she was, she avoided it.

 

She got distracted when Wheein tugged her dress, asking for food. She chuckled at how adorable Wheein was and opened the refrigerator. She was confused as to why there was a lot of yogurts inside. She didn't remember buying any of it.

 

Wheein's excited babble got her attention. She took one and opened it up for her.

 

"Unnie!"

 

For a moment, Sooyeon stopped what she was doing.

 

"Wait, what did you say?"

 

Wheein was too preoccupied with her yogurt to even repeat what she has said. Sooyeon wanted to check if she heard it right. Not 'appa' or 'umma' but 'unnie'. Wheein's first word was 'unnie'! She couldn't wait to share the news so she called her husband to remind him to come home early.

 

The door opened and her husband, Minseok, entered.

 

"You said you have good news so I finished everything. I also bought chicken on the way," he said as he placed the take out on the table. He was about to take a bottle of water but was surprised at the amount of yogurt inside.

 

"Did you buy all of these?"

 

"Of course not."

 

"Then Byulyi must have. Wheein took a liking on this yogurt so Byulyi would buy one for her everyday. I wonder why she bought so much?"

 

"We can ask her when she's home," she replied as she took a glance on her watch. "But she's late though."

 

Evening came and they already have set up the table. Sooyeon cooked a lot. Aside from the take-out her husband bought, she also prepared other dishes. She checked the time and noticed that it's late yet Byulyi still hasn't arrived.

 

"Honey, can you call Byulyi's homeroom teacher? She is still not home and it's late already," she asked Minseok. It was so unlikely of her daughter to come home late. After classes, she goes home directly so this situation is surely making her worried.

 

"Alright," Minseok answered as he looked into his contacts. He became increasingly worried when Sooyeon looked so lost and worried. He put in on loudspeaker so his wife could hear their conversation.

 

"Good evening, Mr. Jung." Byulyi's homeroom teacher greeted. "I was about to call you to ask if Byulyi is alright? She skipped her afternoon class and didn't tell anyone what happened so I assumed that she was sic-

 

Sooyeon immediately took hold of his phone and said that her daughter still hasn't arrived home yet. Her eyes then caught sight of a bright neon sticky note on the refrigerator and her heart momentarily stopped.

 

No, it cannot be. 

 

"Honey, did you write that one?" she asked, pointing to the sticky note. Minseok followed her finger and shrugged.

 

"No, I didn't."  Sooyeon handed back his phone and replied to Byul's teacher.

 

Sooyeon grabbed the note and checked if it was really Byulyi's handwriting.

 

"Honey," her voice trembled, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

 

It was small but it was surely Byulyi's neat handwriting. It said one word but it made Sooyeon's world crumble.

 

Bye.

 

//

 

Byul might have regretted her decision to run away from but it's not like she could go back home. Home. She chuckled sadly. It's not her home. She's not in the position to call it hers because she isn't included in the first place. She was just a piece of baggage which is hard to dispose of. 

 

Would they even notice that she's gone? 

 

After taking a bus, she went to the playground she used to go when she was little and took refuge to a small playhouse. She opened her bag and grabbed a jacket and decided to sleep. She'll think of what she'll do tomorrow. For now, she just wants to sleep. She closes her eyes in tears as everything around her fades away in the background.

 

She heard the rumbling of the sky and stirred up from her sleep. She was cold yet she was sweating. She struggled to breathe as another episode of her nightmare woke her up. A sob escaped from her trembling lips as she gathered her knees and curled to a ball.

 

The rain started to fall. She's all alone in the middle of nowhere. It made Byul more lonely. She thought she was used to it but now that she's here, she finally knows how scary and lonely she was.

 

Bad thoughts kept on chasing her. It wouldn't leave her alone. It was like a shackle that keeps on following her wherever she goes. The rain poured harder, deafening her sobs. 

 

She just wants to vanish from this world. The pain was too much and it hurts so much that it's making it difficult for her to breathe. There were a lot of what-ifs inside her mind and it made her more miserable. She just wants this pain to be over. She just wants everything to be over. It's not like she'll be missed. It's not like someone out there is going to grieve over her. She is just nothing. A useless hum-

 

All of a sudden, a warm smile interrupted her. A warm smile accompanied with bright eyes. It was Wheein, cupping her cheeks, every time she wakes up from her nightmares. Wheein looks at her as is she was the world and it choked Byul from the rushing emotions. She thought of herself as someone useless yet Wheein looks at her as if she was the most amazing person in the whole world. Wheein would smile at her and babble with her noncoherent baby talk. Her smile was nothing big but it comforted her a lot. It made her warm and wanted. It made her want to go back home.

 

She hiccuped and sat up. She doesn't know what she's going to do after but for now, she just wants to go back. Back to her mother, Mr. Jung, and Wheein. They may not take her back but she'll plead. She doesn't want to be alone. She doesn't want to. Not anymore. 

 

Rain poured heavily, leaving her wet as she barged through the rain. She tightly grabbed the strap of her bag and just ran. She was about to reach the other side of the road when suddenly a car honked loudly, bright light blinding her and then everything turned black.

 

//

 

The adults have already contacted the police. They said that they were working on it now and have already created a search party. Sooyeon insisted that they also search around the neighborhood. Byulyi might not have run away so far, however, they couldn't find her. It didn't help that there was a heavy downpour. It made Minseok and Sooyeon more worried.

 

Minseok had to calm down his wife. She has been crying for hours already. He had just finished tucking Wheein. He entered Byulyi's room and saw Sooyeon clutching a paper on her chest. He noticed it was crumpled and torn to pieces but was taped all together to keep it intact in one piece. He realized that it was actually Byulyi's project which Wheein played when she was fast asleep.

 

"Honey," he whispered and hugged her. Instead of calming down, the woman sobbed louder.

 

"I am such a bad mother!" she said brokenly as she cried, "I- I can't even bear to call myself one."

 

Minseok just held her tight, consoling his wife. "No parent is perfect, Sooyeon-ah. We all lack something and I think that is just how it is. Being a parent is a continuing process. We learn to be one as our children grow. We never stop learning."

 

Sooyeon looked at the paper through her glistening eyes. It was a drawing of four people that represents the four of them. Byulyi drew the house behind them, imitating the shape and color as close as possible. There was Minseok in his suit, his arm circling around to the woman who was supposed to be her. Then there was Byulyi, holding Wheein's wrist. It was a happy picture of them. Below the drawing was a question with a concise answer.

 

What is your dream?

My dream is to have a happy family.

 

She then took a look on Byulyi's newly made project which she had forgotten to pass this morning. It was still the same background, however, instead of four, there was only three of them left. Minseok is still wearing his suit and she was carrying Wheein on her eyes. Byulyi was nowhere to be found.

 

What is your dream?

For them to be happy.

 

Her daughter's answer broke her heart to pieces. She shed so many tears that made it hard for her to breathe. Her heart constricted with pain as if thousand of needles pricked her heart. How could she let Byulyi feel this? How could she hurt her daughter so much? She was such a fool for thinking that what she's doing is helping Byulyi. 

 

All of a sudden, the cellphone on Minseok's pocket rang.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Is this Jung Byulyi's dad?"

 

"Yes!" he answered and Sooyeon stopped crying, her eyes red and puffy.

 

The two of them listened intently. The woman introduced herself as a nurse in the closest hospital in the city. She said that someone found Byulyi in the middle of the street, unconscious. They hurried to the said hospital and frantically asked where Byulyi was located. The nurse who called them earlier led them to a room on the 22nd floor and Byulyi was there, sleeping peacefully.

 

"What happened to her?" Sooyeon asked while holding her daughter's cold hand. Minseok rubbed her back with his free hand while carrying Wheein.

 

"A woman found her unconscious in the middle of the pedestrian. She wasn't hurt but fever and stress made her body shut down," the nurse explained kindly. After talking to Minseok who asked more follow up questions, the nurse left them and slid the door closed.

 

A few hours later, Byulyi woke up and it didn't take long for her to tear up as soon as she found her mother.

 

"Mom!"

 

"I'm sorry," she said as she sobbed, hugging Sooyeon tightly, afraid that she would lose her, "I'm sorry, please take me back. I know you hate me but," her tears were flowing, and it broke Sooyeon's heart to see her daughter like this. "I'll do everything. I'll wash the dishes, I'll take care of Wheein, I promise I won't hurt her. I promise I won't be like dad! I won't even disturb you or Uncle Minseok, so please," her voice cracking up as tears choked her up. 

 

"Sshhh," Sooyeon whispered, hugging her daughter who looked so sick and vulnerable. She cupped her cheeks and tried to dry her tears away. "Byul, you are my daughter. I will never ever hate you," she said as she stared right into her eyes. "Mom is sorry for making you feel like this. I'm so sorry for hurting you." 

 

"God, I'm such a bad mother," she whispers as she looked up the ceiling, rubbing her daughter's back trying to calm her down.

 

Minseok hid and stayed outside of the room. He heard everything and her heart aches for the child. He dried his tears away and decided to let the mother and daughter have their time to talk. He was about to walk away when he heard Byul.

 

"I'm so sorry for making you worry. Uncle Minseok might hate m-

 

"I would never hate you, Byul-ah!" he yelled, making Sooyeon and Byulyi flinch with his voice and Wheein wide awake. Realizing what he had done, he cleared his throat and looked elsewhere. Feeling their stares, he sighed and walked towards the bed.

 

"Byul-ah, Uncle Minseok will never hate you, okay? How could I when you are such a kind kid?" he said. He looked at Wheein and to Byul, smiling fondly at his daughters. "I know you how much you care for Wheein. You even helped her walk, buy what she wants, let her sleep with you, give her your favorite blanket," he listed everything what he had observed and that made Byul go red in embarrassment.

 

She smiled shyly, wanting to hide away from everything. She was not used being the center of attention so she does not know how to handle this situation but when Wheein smiled at her, everything became calm to her. She leaned near to Minseok and cups Wheein's chubby cheek with her hand. "Thank you for saving me." she whispers, only letting Wheein hear it.

 

"Unnie!"

 

She froze and then looked at Wheein as if she had grown two heads.

 

"Wait, what?"

 

"About that," her mother trailed off.

 

"It seems like we all know who is Wheein's favorite person in this world." he laughed.

 

Not umma or appa, but unnie.

 

Byul dried the lone tear that betrayed her and smiled widely. Her heart feels like it's going to burst any moment now as she feels so full of happiness. She basked in the warmth of her family. 

 

She no longer felt like an outsider. It was as if the misunderstandings and assumptions that she had created that made her feel distant from them are finally gone. She closed her eyes as her mom, dad, and her sister gave her a bone-crushing hug.


End file.
